February baseball can be hard to keep in perspective

South Carolina coach Chad Holbrook was asked last Friday to share a Ray Tanner story the day the former coach and current athletic director was honored by the school for his career.

There was little hesitation. Holbrook recalled the 2010 season when the Gamecocks had just lost a February series in sweeping fashion at East Carolina.

When the team returned home, Tanner lit into his players in the locker room, calling out individuals who didn't have a stellar weekend. As he finished his tirade, he kicked a trash can in displeasure. Holbrook followed Tanner down the hall to the offices laughing because Tanner could hardly walk.

Holbrook said Tanner nearly broke his foot when he kicked that trash can.

A few days later, the Gamecocks began another series, and Tanner looked right at Holbrook and told him they were going to have a "horse crap year."

USC went on to win its first national championship at the College World Series that June.

Perspective in college baseball is very difficult to have in February.

It's so early in the season that you'll see scores that will make you shake you head.

No. 1 Arkansas dropped a 7-5 decision to Western Illinois over the weekend. Not only did Clemson not sweep William & Mary, it lost the second game by an eye-opening 11-2 final.

It shouldn't be a shock that No. 7 South Carolina didn't win all three of its season-opening contests against Liberty.

Baseball has never, ever been won in the first week of the season.

With that said, I couldn't help but walk out of Carolina Stadium on Sunday pondering the Gamecocks' future this season.

They didn't have an especially inspiring debut. Liberty outhit USC, 20-17, over the three games, which were all decided by one run. The Gamecocks needed a eight runs combined in the eighth and ninth to just to claim the series in the second game of the weekend, and they committed five errors.

On the mound, Jordan Montgomery had a nice season debut in Friday's game, but no one else really stood out, starters or relievers.

The offense looked lost at times, unable to execute hit and runs and bunts to move runners into position. USC's only home run of the series came on LB Dantzler's solo shot in Game 1.

But with these bats, that's not a good indicator of a power loss.

All in all, it wasn't a great weekend statistically.

That doesn't mean USC didn't do some good things. That rally in Game 2 was the largest since 2009 and showed some serious grit for a Gamecock program that shouldn't have really be down 7-0 in the first place.

Don't get me wrong: Liberty is a pretty good team that's well coached and is looking to dethrone Coastal Carolina in the Big South this season. But on paper, there was little comparison between the two teams.

USC gets a chance to right some wrongs with a three-game set against Albany, beginning Friday.

The Palmetto rivalry series with Clemson looms a week later.

It's hard to think either team will be at its best for the Clemson-Greenville-Columbia set.

Holbrook will continue to tinker with the lineup and mix and match arms on the mound.

That's really what February is for anyway.

It just appears there's a lot to work on right now for the Gamecocks.

As South Carolina has proved, though, early struggles can lead to June success.